Pre-commercial hybrids obtained from an acylsugar-rich tomato inbred line, resistant to Tuta absoluta

This experiment was designed to assess the agronomic potential of tomato hybrids obtained from the tomato line TOM-687, an acylsugar-rich line with confirmed resistance to an array of tomato pests. The experiment was carried out at the HortiAgro Sementes research station, in Ijaci, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The treatments comprised 30 genotypes (5 commercial hybrid checks, 1 high acylsugar line (TOM-687), and 24 hybrids in which TOM-687 was one of the parents). Plants were trained to two stems, in a spacing of 1.30 m between rows x 0.50 m between plants within a row, totaling 15,385 plants per hectare. Nine harvests were performed between November 1(st), 2008 and November 28(th), 2008. Traits assessed were mean fruit weight (g fruit(-1)) and total yield (t ha(-1)). All 24 hybrids with TOM-687 as a parent showed yields similar to those of the commercial check hybrids Debora Max, Bravo, Bonus, Kombat and Atyna. Four of these experimental hybrids (TEX-298, TEX-310, TEX-315 and TEX-316) were assessed for resistance to the South American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta, and were shown to possess higher degrees of pest resistance than the current commercial hybrid checks.